E.H. Hamilton, a Presbyterian missionary to China, wrote the poem below to reflect upon and commemorate the martyrdom of his fellow missionary J.W. Vinson (1880-1931). In October 1931, as Vinson visited some believers 18 miles from his mission station, the area was overwhelmed by a group of 600 bandits. Vinson was taken hostage along with […]

Christians can defend the Bible from the Bible, due to its unique self-validating nature. This is not to argue in a circle, as author John Parkinson explains in this helpful article: In our pluralistic age we often hear the Bible described as merely another source of divine inspiration alongside the sacred texts of the Muslims, […]

Atheism is flourishing in the country of my birth. Though 100 years ago most people in the UK attended church, the current figure sits at around 6%. Compare that with the 14% who identify as “convinced atheists”. The ‘atheist percentage’ is considerably higher among the young, which indicates that within a generation the country whose […]

Here’s a great chart from Phil Coulson (editor of the Believer’s Magazine) bringing the Bible’s weights and measures into current numbers by converting them into litres, pints, gallons, grams, kilos, inches and millimetres. A very useful frequently needed chart for Bible readers!

Growing up in the 1960’s and 1970’s, it was the settled view of my generation, and the generations before me, that involvement in politics, either as a voter or a candidate, was not right for a Christian. In recent years however, the Brexit issue in the UK and the Trump phenomenon in the US, has […]

The 21st Century has seen a revolution in the West’s view of life and sexuality, overturning thousands of years of settled and trusted moral norms and replacing them with an ‘anything goes’ culture of amoral attitudes to the body. Love Thy Body by Nancy Pearcey is a 335 page book (Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, […]

Dr David Vallance, a Christian medical doctor from Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, gives a Biblical perspective on the difficult and contentious issues of genetic engineering, designer babies, fetal harvesting and transhumanism. In the beginning, God directed Adam to subdue and rule the earth, and everything in it (Gen 1:28). In this “dominion mandate” the Lord […]

Here’s a thought-provoking quote about the difference between the two besetting sins of gossip and flattery: “Gossip is saying behind a person’s back (or anonymously on social media) what you would never say to his or her face. Flattery is saying to a person’s face (or onymously on social media) what you would never say […]

Bert Cargill of Scotland, co-author or “Torchbearers of the Truth”, writes the following brief biography of the leader of the Reformation in Scotland, John Knox (1510-1572). Of all those who promoted the Reformation in Scotland, with its insistence upon the authority of the Scriptures and justification by faith alone, no name is better known than […]

An inspiring, insightful quotation by a Christian author comes to your attention. Impressed by the quote, you consider posting it on social media. Think before you post! Why? Because posting a quote endorses its author. Though it may be scriptural, helpful and inspiring, no quotation exists independently of its source. J.M. Davies used to say […]